We've all seen those lavish, over-the-top ceremonies and receptions. The tropical floral arrangements imported from Chile, the couture gown, the sixteen-tier cake. Dripping with excess, those weddings must be overcompensating for some relationship woes. Right?

"It hypothesized that lavish wedding displays make the couple feel more secure. Common uncertainties include fears about the chosen partner, whether to get married and what life will be like afterwards. By impressing an audience for the commitment with large expenditure, these fears may be diminished, and commitment to each other and their new roles increased," explains The Guardian.

So... the larger the affair, the more secure the couple feels, and, in turn, more committed. In fact, the bigger the party, the better the odds for the couple. Odd, because we would have guessed just the opposite. (Perhaps that's just jealousy speaking.)

The average American wedding hits around $30,000, while the most lavish wedding to date was that of Vanisha Mittal in 2004. The wedding cost $30 million; the 1,000 guests in attendance were flown into Paris from around the world. Singer Kylie Minogue performed. Wow. (For reference, Donald Trump's most recent marriage to Melania ranked number 10 on the list of most-expensive weddings–at a paltry $1 million.)

So what do you think? Are extravagant weddings unnecessary–or a sign of good things to come?